The NAMSA (NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency) awarded the European missile house MBDA a contract for the destruction of 36000 complex munitions.

MBDA will be responsible for the disposal before 2017 of more than 1000 missiles and 22000 M26 rockets (deployed in Multi Launch Rocket System-MLRS), each containing 644 sub-munitions, and as well of 13000 155mm grenade shells, each containing 63 sub-munitions.

The munitions processing plant will be installed at its Bourges Subdray site in central France.

In order to win the contract and establish a high added value facility in France, MBDA has brought together the best skills available on the market with Italian companies Esplodenti Sabino Srl, and NAMMO AS of Norway.

MBDA is jointly held by BAE Systems (37,5%), EADS (37,5%) and Finmeccanica SpA (25%).

The Russian Federation Defence Ministry has contracted Germany company Rheinmetall AG and its Russian partner JSCo Oboronservis to build a major army training centre in Mulino, located in Russia´s Volga region.

The Russian partner will serve as general contractor and subsequently operate the facility on behalf of the Russian Armed Forces. By 2014 this simulation-supported training centre measuring over 500 square kilometres will be able to train 30000 troops a year.

During live combat simulation, formations and units will be able to train for military operations using laser simulators and cutting edge communications technology mounted onto their equipment and tactical vehicles. Live fire will be simulated by eye-safe laser simulators for all weapons, ranging from small arms and light anti-tank weapons to battle tank guns, artillery howitzers and infantry fighting.

The German company already operates the German Army (Bundeswehr) Gefechtsübungszentrum Heer (GÜZ), a army training centre located in the Altmark in central Germany, on which the new facility in Russia will be modelled.

For Rheinmetall AG the order is worth over EUR100 million including further options.

(Rheinmetall AG).

The Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam has contracted Sikorsky International Operations Inc for the supply of twelve Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation S-70i Black Hawk medium tactical transport helicopters.

The helicopters are expected to be delivered to the Royal Brunei Air Force between 2013 and 2015.

The Polish Ministry of Defence (Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej-MON) canceled the upgrade of the two Oliver Hazard Perry (OHP) frigates in service with the Polish Navy, ORP “General Kazimierz Puławski” (272) and ORP “General Thaddeus Kościuszko” (273).

A comprehensive upgrade package was to be implemented during three years under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process at a cost of ZL450 million, including the upgrade and conversion of Raytheon MK15 Phalanx Block 0 close-in weapon systems Block 1B standard.

The former U.S. Navy vessels where received from the United States in 2000 and 2002 respectively.

The U.S. TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded U.S. company General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), a US$395 million contract for work under the Egyptian tank co-production program. The contract funds the production of 125 M1A1 Abrams battle tank kits for the eleventh increment of the Egyptian co-production program.

Since 1992, GDLS has provided components for kits used in the co-production program. The parts are shipped to a production facility near Cairo, Egypt, where the tanks are manufactured for the Egyptian Land Forces. This latest increment will increase the number of Egyptian co-production-built vehicles to 1130.

Deliveries will begin in July 2013 and continue until January 2016.

Following the launch of A400M Grizzly tactical transport aircraft series production last February, Airbus Military has begun the final assembly of the first aircraft that will be delivered to the French Air Force.

The fuselage for this aircraft, known as MSN7, arrived at the final assembly line in Seville (Spain) on board an Airbus Beluga aircraft. The wings and nose arrived some days earlier and the integration of the central box and outer wings has already begun.

The horizontal tailplane is expected next week and the vertical tailplane in two weeks time.

France will receive its first airlifter around the turn of the year 2012/2013.

Eight serial A400M aircraft are already at different stages of production.

(Airbus Military).

(Airbus Military).

Eighteen months after construction began, the Gowind offshore patrol vessel built by French shipbuilder DCNS has left Lorient shipyard, where it was built, on a course for Franch Navy naval base of Toulon, its home port.

The 1400 tonnes ship called “L´Adroit” is to be manned by the French Navy during three years.

(DCNS).

The first international Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft has rolled out of the factory of Fort Worth, Texas. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence will use the short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft, known as BK-1, for training and operational tests.

BK-1 will undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming months. The combat aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in 2012.

The programme is comprised of nine partner nations which are the United States, U.K., Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. In October 2010, Israel selected the F-35A aircraft as the Israel Air Force’s next generation fighter and is scheduled to receive the F-35A through the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales process. Additionally, Japan and the Republic of Korea are currently considering the F-35 to recapitalize their fighter fleets.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 Lightning II with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

(Lockheed Martin UK Ltd).

Elbit Systems Ltd was awarded an order by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for the supply of Armored Driving Trainers (ADTs) for several Israel Defense Forces combat vehicle types as well as for a Forward Observer Trainer (FOT) for surveillance and observation of Israel’s borders.

Mounted on top a motion platform, the ADT enables six degrees freedom of movement, specifically designed to provide trainees with a highly realistic driving experience. The system supports driver training in a wide range of combat and non-combat scenarios.

The FOT is a combat support and field intelligence trainer, designed to enable full simulation of real-life battlefield situations for forward observers posted along all types of terrain, performing border control and protection. The scenarios offered by the FOT are actual real-life scenarios depicting the real borders to be observed in each of the forward observers service. Interoperable with C4I and communication systems, the scenarios incorporated include fire planning, ranging and field operation as well as target detection, recognition, identification, acquisition and engagement in diverse environmental conditions, while using a wide variety of day and night sensors.

(Elbit Systems Ltd).

(Elbit Systems Ltd).

On 22 of November, the Defence Minister of Chile, Andrés Allamand will visit the French Navy naval base of Toulon. There, the Chilean official together with the French Navy Chief of Staff, he will visit the French Navy L9011 FS “Foudre” TCD (Transport de Chalands de Débarquement) landing ship to be transferred to the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile) in December.

On 21 November, Andrés Allamand had a meeting in Paris with is counterpart Gérard Longuet.